The insulating capability of solids such as, for example, aluminum oxide ceramics, in relation to high-voltage loads is generally very high but is limited by the finite dielectric strength of solids. This also applies to high-voltage insulators, in particular ceramic insulators for medium-voltage and high-voltage vacuum interrupters. The reason therefor is the buildup of discharge within insulators, which is conjointly determined by the defect density in the direction of the field. In this case, the dielectric strength, the breakdown field strength, in the solid does not scale directly with the insulator length but is proportional to the square root of the insulator length. This has the result that, in particular for high voltages above approximately 100 kV, it becomes increasingly difficult to attain the required proof voltage of, for example, vacuum interrupters for the high-voltage sector, that is to say in a range of more than 72 kV.
To date, this problem, in particular in the case of vacuum interrupters in power transmission and distribution technology, has been solved in that a plurality of comparatively short components are used instead of a single cylindrical insulator component having a relatively large length, said plurality of comparatively short components being connected to one another in the axial direction by a suitable, vacuum-tight and mechanically stable connection technology such as, for example, a brazing solder. According to the physical laws of the internal proof voltage described above, the combination of a plurality of such comparatively short insulators has a higher proof voltage than an integral insulator of the same length. However, this solder method overall is very cost-intensive since a high technical complexity is required in order for the corresponding vacuum tightness to be generated for the connection.